A Lenten Digital Retreat

Who is my neighbor?

This Lent, CRS Rice Bowl invites you, your family and community to journey alongside the Good Samaritan, to reflect on the question: Who is my neighbor?
So many of our neighbors are on the move: migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, travelers. The Good Samaritan—a traveler himself, one on the move—shows us what it means to encounter the stranger, to accompany one in need and become a companion on the journey.

That’s why we’ve prepared this digital retreat, juxtaposing the words of Jesus’ parable with the words of Pope Francis, connecting an ancient teaching with a present reality. Because we are all called to be Good Samaritans, especially today, as so many of our brothers and sisters are forced from their homes, fleeing violence, economic hardship, persecution and climate injustice.

“The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’” — Luke 10:35

When we reflect on the story of the Good Samaritan, we may often miss this last line, so caught up are we in the great act of service done on the side of the road. But it’s important to note the Good Samaritan’s closing words: “Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.” He gives freely and wholeheartedly in equal measure to the need of the one whom he serves. No reservations; no disclaimers.

How will you respond to the needs of those you meet on life’s roads this Lent?

Your neighbors live across the street and the country, across oceans and hemispheres. As millions of God’s children flee war, persecution and poverty, Pope Francis, Caritas Internationalis, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, and Catholic Relief Services invite you to share their journey by walking with them in prayer and support.

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Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of theUnited States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas.